Christmas-tree holder.



TTOHNEVS HENRY ELBE, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CHRISTMAS-TREE HOLDER.

i ,aas-reet.

Application filed September 8, 1916.

To all LU/wm t may concern:

Be it known that l, HENRY ELBE, a citizen of the United IStates, and a resident of the f city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented a new and lmproved Christmas-Tree Holder, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to Christmas tree holders characterized by means for rotatably supporting the tree.

An object of the invention is to provide an ell'icient support in which the grip On the tree trunk by the support is proportional to the weight of the tree supported.

Another object of the invention is tol provide a support with which tree trunks of different sizes can be used. without any necessity of adjustment in the support and in which support the friction caused by the weight of the tree is reduced to a minimum.

With the above and other objects in view, the nature of which will more fully appear as 'the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as herein fully described, illustrated and claimed.

ln the accompanying drawings, forming part of the application, similar characters of' reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a support embodying,- my invention;

l ig. Q. is a plan view thereof shown as a section on line 2-2 in Fig. 1; and

l? ig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section on line 3-3, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the main support -1 is in the shape of a tripod braced at a short distance below the top by a bed 5. rlhe bed carries a thrust bearing 6 which is co-axial with a roller bearing 7 formed of a plurality of rollers provided on the top of the tripod near the opening thereof. A trustocone-shaped member 8 engages the roller bearing 7 so that gravity tends to take up any wear between the member and the roller bearing. Said member 8 constitutes the loweripart of a carrier 9 which is in the shape of a conical spider, larger at the upper end, and whereat gripping arms 10 are provided. Said gripping arms are pivotally connected to lugs 11 which rise from the rim 12 of the spider. Each of the arms 1.0 has an inwardly directed bifurcated finger 18 forming an integral part of the arm.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 191'?.

'serial No. 119,010.

'lhe' carrierl 9 has a spindle projecting above and below the portion 8 of the carrier and in rigid connection therewith. The

lower end of the spindle engages the thrust bearing 6. The upper end of the spindle is engaged by a socket 15 which is free to move axially and revolve on said end of spindle. Said socket 15 forms an integral part of a rim 16 which rests on the fingers 13 of the arms 10. Then the trunk 17 of a tree is placed between the arms 10 with the eX- tremity oit the trunk bearing on to the arms 18 which connect the rim 16 to the socket 15, the weight of the tree is transmitted through the rim to the arms 10, causing the gripping ends 19 of said arms to engage the trunk, The greater the weight of the tree the stronger will be the grip of the arms on the trunk. rlhe socket 15, the rim 1G, and the arms- 18 constitute the tree socket, the gripping arms 10 preventing the tree from moving in the socket, and also centering the tree in said socket.4

The spindle 14 has a pinion 2O which is geared to a motor 21, preferably moupted on the bed, and which may be a spring motor, as shown, or any other convenient mot-or which may be suitable for the purpose of transmitting rotary movement to the spindle. Mounted on the spindle 1-1 are two rings 22 insulated from each other and from the spindle. Brushes 23 are mounted on the bed 5, one for each ring the two brushes being connected to a suitable source of electrical supply, not shown. rThe wires from the rings are merged in a cable 24 which is `drawn through the spider, along the trunk and up into the tree. The connection of the cable with the rings is such that it does not interfere with the movement of the spindle. Although the holder is intended for trees, it-can be used for stais or any other supports presenting a trunk section.

While l have described the principle of operation, together with the device which l now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made as are within the'scope of the appended claims.

l cla-im: f

1. In a holder' of the class described, a support, a carrier rotatably mounted thereon, means for rotating the carrier, clamping arms mounted pivotally on the carrier, said arms presenting inwardly-directed lingers,

lOO

and a tree socket suspended from said fingers and 1n engagement With said carrier for steadying'said socket on the lingers.

2. In a holder" of the class cle cr"ibed,Y a-z 'support, a. carrier revolubly mounted on the support, means.l for revolving the carrier, clamping arms pivotally mounted on the carrier, inwardly-directed ingersfrom `said i arms, a tree socket suspended from said yiingers, means for centering the socket with theY carrier, said socket having an axial movemei-it witlr said centering means Whereby trees off various thicknesses may be clampedfbetiveen the arms.A

toward each other when weight is appiled to the socket.

4. A holder ofthe class described, conlprising a Isupport, a carrier in the shape of aninverted conical spider, roller bearings for saidspider on the supportnearer the vertex thereof, a spindle coaxial with the spider and constrained to rotate therewith extending into the support and spider, a thrustvbearing for said spindle in the support, means for rotating the spindle Whereby the carrier is rotated, Dripping arms pivotallyinounted at/che base ofthe carrier, inivardly-directed =1ingers from said arms, and a tree socket in the shape of an inverted conical spider presenting e rim at the base thereof.y for engaging the fingers, said tree socketengaging the spindle portion projecting into the carrier, whereby said tree socket isv steadied on the fingers, said arms being so related to the ingersfthat Weight applied to thesocket causes the arms to move t0- Ward each other..

HENRY ELBE.

Copies-o-thspatent maybe obtained forrrve cents each, by addressingihe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D.- (1,1- 

